Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-23
SOME NOTED ESCAPES.
Celebrities Who Have
Bored Prison Walls
OR MADE USE OF DISCUSSES.
Flight of Louis Napoleon From
the Fortress of Ham-Incident
in the life of Carl Schurz.

There has always been glamour o
romance attending the escapes o
criminals from prison, and the by
paths OF history are full of stories O
those who by audacity or add ress have
triumphed over obstacles almost in
surmountable and gained their free
dom. The more than Oriental imag.
ination of Dumas in the Romance oi
Monte Cristo, portraying the escape ol
Edmond Dantes from the Chateau
DIFF, has scarcely exceeded in wonder
many of the strange stories OF actual
fact. The escades of Baron Trenck, OF
Casanova, of Jack Sheppard, and OF
a hundred others rival in interest
the widest fictions of the novelists.
Many instances there are where pris-
oners have burrowed through inside
walls of enormous thickness by the
aid of the most insignificant means,
such as nail or broken case-knife,
have scaled high walls by ropes made
of bedding or clothing, and Guiding
vigilant sentries have gained their
freedom. Sometimes happy con-
course of circumstances have assisted
them and at others they have dis
played an almost superhuman energy
in overcoming unforeseen difficulties.
Orsini, the Italian conspirator and
revolutionist who vas executed in
Paris in 1858 for attempting to assas-
sinate the Emperor Louis Napoleon,
escaped from a prison in Mantua in
1856. The difficulties he surmounted
were enormous. He was confined in
a cell which had but one window sew
en- feet from the floor. Twelve iron
bars three inches thick crossed each
other and We're inserted in the
stone easement, with second Frame
work of similar bars distant three
feet further in the embra-
sure The outside of the window was
covered with an iron grating. From
the window to the ground below was
a dis ance of 104 feet, and this vas at
the bottom of wet ditch. On the
other side of the ditch was a wall
twenty feet high and very thick. Be-
yond the wal there was bridge to
cross, which was closed at night and
guarded by sentries. By the assist
ance of outside friends he obtained
some steel saws and went to work at
the iron bars, and after months
of the most painful labor
he sawed a space out sufficient to al
low him to pass through. All this
while he was daily inspected in his
cell by vigilant guards. He also pre-
pared a rope made OF his bedding to
lower himself to the ground. When
all was ready, after the last visit OF
the guards at night, he set out OH his
perllous Journey, In descending the
rope his strength gave out, and when
he was yet twenty feet from the
ground he fell, severely injuring his
arm and leg and lacerating himself
severely. He lost consciousness for u
time and when he recovered he could
hardly move. wall twenty feet high
remained to be surmounted, along
which ran roadway, over which, as
soon as daylight should appear, people
would be passing. He wandered
along the ditch seeking for place to
escape, and by means of nail he at
last fixed his rope to the top of the
wall, but when that was accomplished
his strength was not sufficient to ena-
BILE him to climb it. He now surren
dered himself to despair, knowing
that he would be retaken and
executed. Then he became indifler-
ent and lay down in the ditch and
slept. He was awakened at daylight
by the stirring noises OF the city Some
people passed, and Orsini in despera-
ton called to them for help, saying
that he had got drunk the night be-
fore and had fallen into the ditch, but
they only shook their heads at him.
Finally stout peasant lad passed. In
a voice OF agony Orsini called to him
for help, and asked him to take the
end of the rope. The boy took it, and
pulled with a will, but he was not
strong enough. After a tremendous
effort Orsini fell back again.
"Call another mani" he shouted,
being in despair. A stout man sud
denly appeared and took hold OF the
rope. Both pulled with might and
main and raised him high enough tc
catch him in their arms just as his
strength was giving away. They lift
ed him to the road, and when they un'
derstood he was q political prisoner
ran away with all their might
and he lilnped off and CON
cealed himself in a neigh
boring swamp. Though o great search
was made he was not discovered. lie
4 IT, 70, fyin n
finally escaped to England. There he
entered upon the conspiracy against
Louis Napoleon which eliminated il
the throwing of the bombs before the
Emperor's carriage in January, 1858
causing gre It loss of life, but doing NJ
harm to the Emperor. Orisini was
arrested, tried and executed, and hi'
stormy career brought to an end.
The escape of Prince Louis Napo
leon from the Fortress of Ham wai
accomplished by the great address
and presence of mind of the Prince
1t will be remembered that after hi
wild and foolish attempt to gain thu
army to his cause at Boulogne in Au
gust, 1910, he was arrested and triet
before the Chamber OF Peers and con
ueuneu 10 lmpriSOnnenC iui INC. Ai'
was taken to the Fortress OF Ham
and for more than five years Remained
a closely guarded prisoner. Despair
ing of gaining his release through h tn
clemency of the Government, he a
last determined to make his .escape
He was allowed to see visiters some
times, and DR.. Conneau, Genera
Montholon and valet name
Thelin were with him constant
and waited upon him. The latte
also was permitted by the guard
to go in and out of the prison at vii
Some repairs being necessary to til
apartments Of the Prince, workme
were brought from the village to d
the work. 1t was noticed that til
workmen were closely inspected whe
they came in the morning and whe